Center of the Universe

 

Learning to forgive seventy-seven times

03/10/2026

Matthew 18:21-35 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

Are you familiar with the term Copernican Revolution? It refers to the astronomer Copernicus who posited and proved a heliocentric worldview instead of the prevailing geocentric model in the 16th century. That is, he was convinced the sun was at the center of the solar system rather than the earth, as the Greek astronomer Ptolemy had proposed. The Catholic Church censured Copernicus because his perspective clashed with the Christian faith, and we have regretted it every since. Today we are much more sympathetic toward science.

But the phrase “Copernican Revolution” has been adopted ever since to suggest a fundamental shift in thinking, or as we say today a paradigm shift. In other words, something we previously thought was paramount or central has been replaced by a new concept that essentially reorders and reshapes our understanding of the world. It is like falling in love, when another person (a beautiful woman), rather than I, stand at the center of my life. Or, like having a baby. The universe revolves around another tiny someone else, not me. That paradigm shift would be a personal Copernican Revolution.

In the gospel today Jesus proposes in effect a Copernican Revolution for St. Petere and the Church. That is, our Lord suggest that instead of putting ourselves at the center of our world, we should put God the Father. Peter should try to see matters, indeed, all matters, through the eyes of the heavenly Father, and therefore everything, especially everyone, will look radically different. Even Peter himself will look different. And since this gospel forms 14 verses of Matthew 18, the chapter on the Church, this new view has profound implications for the Church’s self-understanding as well.

Peter asks sensibly (like we all might): “How often must I forgive my brother who sins against me, as many as seven times?” And bear in mind that Peter thought he was being generous in forgiving by saying “seven times.”  After all, isn’t seven the number of perfection? But Jesus exponentially raises the stakes by answering: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Then Jesus explains the parable of forgiveness and how servants should forgive one another. But did you noticed how Jesus began? He said: “That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king…” To a king.

In other words, Peter was seeing forgiveness through the eyes of the two servants. In that reckoning, a servant who demands something owed him would be justified in treating his lazy fellow servant harshly. But what if the servants, and their petty complaints and injustices, were not the primary concern, but rather how the king saw and settled things?

That paradigm shift from the servants’ view to the king’s view is the Copernican Revolution that Jesus was inviting Peter, as the head of his Church, to embrace. You are not the center of your universe, the Father is. And what do fathers want for their sons: to forgive each other as many times as it takes.

My friends, who is the center of your universe? That is, who does your universe revolve around? Is it yourself, or your children, or your grandchildren? How differently we might look at and approach international relations, like the current war in Iran, if we saw matter through the eyes of God the Father, instead of through our own lens of self-interest, self-preservation, and self-promotion? In other words, Peter is not the only one in need of a Copernican Revolution: we all are, and we need it constantly.

In a sense, this  paradigm shift is precisely the reason for Lent. Through the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving, we are supposed to push ourselves out of the center-spot in our universe of concerns, and place there instead the Father and our suffering brothers and sisters. And incidentally, this spiritual Copernican Revolution will happen regardless of whether we want it to or not. It will come either voluntarily on earth, or involuntarily in purgatory. I recommend we adopt it sooner rather than later, not like the Church in the 16th century.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Snow Days in the Desert

 

Following Jesus’ example of sacrifice for Lent

02/22/2026

Matthew 4:1-11 At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Here is the burning question on everyone’s mind as we hit the first Sunday of Lent, namely, do we have to make Lenten sacrifices on Sundays? Are you wondering that right now? Now, the technically correct answer is “No.” Why? Because if you count all the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, you get 47 days of Lent, because the Sundays are counted as “extra days” like “snow days of Lent.” So, if you did not sacrifice on Sunday, you still observe the 40 days of Lent. Another reason not to sacrifice on Sunday is because every Sunday is theologically a “mini- Easter” when Jesus rises from the dead. And we obviously do not sacrifice on Easter Sunday but celebrate. So, I fully intend to enjoy my martini this Sunday evening! On the other hand, some people feel that not sacrificing on Sunday feels like we are cheating on Lent. After all, Jesus did not get to take a break during his 40 days in the desert during his duel with the devil. If Jesus, therefore, who is our model for the Christian life did not get any snow days during that first Lent, then we should not take breaks from our sacrifices during Sundays of Lent.

But I believe a better way to look at the sacrifices of Lent is through the lens of love. What does that mean? When a young man falls madly in love with a young lady, he does not think: “What is the least I can do to show my love for her.” Rather, he beats his chest like Tarzan and says: “What is the most I can sacrifice to show my love?” In other words, true love does not think in terms of half-measures nor does it calculate how to cut corners. In the gospel today, the devil tries to tempt Jesus in effect to take short-cuts during his 40 days in the desert. In a sense, the devil is trying to build in three snow days for

Jesus’ first Lent. How so? First, he invites him to eat bread and thus take a break his fast from food. Second, he tempts our Lord to jump into the loving arms of the angels and thereby avoid any pain. The angels wouldn’t even let our Lord stub his toe on a stone. And third, he offers Jesus fame and fortune and world renown, which would be like winning every Olympic gold medal instead of obeying his Father. And how did Jesus deal with these tempting short-cuts and snow days of Lent?

Like the young man madly in love, so Jesus overcame the devil with the power of love, namely, love for his Father and for humanity. That is, Jesus did not come to show the world the least he could do out of love for us, he came to show us the most he could sacrifice for his beloved. Jesus did not need any snow days in the desert.

My friends, the real question as we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent is not whether we should or should not sacrifice on Sunday. Rather, the real question is how deep is our love? That is, do we love someone so much that giving up something for Lent does not even feel like a sacrifice at all. Let me give you an example of loving someone so much that love turns our sacrifice from a foe into a friend. Last week I visited a man in the hospital who was very sick and preparing for surgery. I gave him the Anointing of the Sick. But as I was preparing to leave, I could tell he was feeling sad and a little depressed.

So, I gave him a little advice that might lift his spirits. I suggested that he offer up his suffering and surgery for someone he loves that is going through a hard time, maybe his children or grandchildren. I explained that our sufferings and sacrifices can be a profound form of prayer, like Jesus prayerful pain on the Cross.

And when offered for others, that prayer born of pain can bring others great graces. As I spoke I saw a knowing spark light up his eyes as he realized that pain can have a purpose. That is, suffering does not have to be senseless. Rather, it can be converted into an act of love, which is what Jesus did by declining the devil’s temptations of snow days in the desert. So, back to our burning question of sacrificing on the first Sunday of Lent, and all subsequent Lenten Sundays. The short answer is: no, you don’t have to make your Lenten sacrifices on Sundays of Lent. Nonetheless, let me give you the same advice I gave to that man in the hospital last week. Think of someone you love like your children or grandchildren, or your spouse, or neighbor, or even those folks on the street corner holding the signs that say, “Anything will help.” And offer your Lenten sacrifices for them even on Sundays. Only love for others can transform our Lenten sacrifices from a foe into a friend. And then we, too, might say “No” to a snow day in the desert.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Paper and Person

 

Appreciating the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr

today

01/19/2026

Mark 2:18-22 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding  guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

Do you know what a watermark is? You probably don’t know if you don’t know what paper is (and some youngsters may not). One definition of a watermark states: “a faint design made in some paper during manufacture that is visible when held against the light and typically identifies the maker.” And it is usually found on fancy and expensive paper. In other words, you only use paper with a watermark if you have something extremely valuable or important to write on it. Watermarks are not found on post-it notes.

Well, there is a very faint but fine watermark on every page of the Bible. And when you hold the pages of Sacred Scripture up to the light of faith, you suddenly see the Eucharist in the background. And of course the Eucharist identifies the Maker of the paper (the Bible) and the Maker of everything else. The divine Author, the Holy Spirit, has used his human styluses to write the most important and valuable words ever written: the story of salvation.

If we hold up today’s gospel pericope from Mk 2:18-22 to the light of faith, we can catch that hidden watermark of the Eucharist on this page of holy writ. There are three clues that should illuminate this page and reveal the elusive watermark. First, the question of fasting, second, the metaphor of the bridegroom, and third, the consequences of pouring wine into unworthy wineskins.

How do these 3 clues help us discern the watermark of the Eucharist? First, we know we should fast for an hour before receiving Holy Communion. That rule of discipline is not arbitrary or superficial, but intended to teach us a spiritual lesson: not to fill ourselves with the things of this world – represented by food – so we will be hungry for the things of heaven.

Have you ever gorged yourself on the chips and salsa that you were not hungry for the main course? Me too. Like the most interesting man in the world says in those commercials captures the point of fasting: “Stay thirsty, my friends.” That is, fast from this world to stay hungry and thirsty for the other-worldly main course, the Eucharist.

Second, Jesus offers the sublime metaphor of the Bridegroom at a wedding. The Scriptures are essentially a story of love, marriage, and consummation. All the inspired authors pick up on this theme to some degree or other, but none more than St. John, especially in his glorious gospel and the dramatic book of Revelation.

John becomes explicit in connecting the Bridegroom and the Eucharist in Rv 19:9, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Jesus).” At every Eucharist, therefore, the Bridegroom – Jesus the Lamb – feed us with the wedding cake of Holy Communion.

Third, the new wine refers to the New Testament, the coming of Christ. Whereas, the old wineskins means the Old Testament which is utterly incapable of containing the grace and glory that Jesus ushers in. The new wine will burst the old wineskins as indeed Jesus’ coming spelled ruin for the old dispensation.

The catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and its iconic Temple, therefore, symbolized the old wineskins, as well as the people who put their faith in it. Consequently, wherever you find the new Wine of the Eucharist, you find the new Temple of Jesus’ Body, in effect the new wineskins.

There is another important watermark we should watchout for, an imprint that speaks of its Maker. This watermark is not found embossed on expensive paper but etched on each human person. Gn 1:27 teaches us that “God created man in his own image (a watermark), male and female he created them.”

In other words, if you were to old a human person up to the light of faith you would see an imprint on him or her that points to his or her Maker. Of course we know that the watermark on the paper of the Bible and the watermark on each person point to the same loving and wise Maker, namely, God.

Today the United States observes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day as a national holiday. It is important that we observe this day because for far too long this nation (individually and collectively) has missed the second watermark on each human person, especially that blessed watermark on African Americans.

We treated them as second-class citizens in our laws, our language, and our social customs of separate bathrooms and seating on busses. Jim Walls famously called racism in our country, “America’s Original Sin.” And he is right. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr advocated for equal right through non-violence, like the great Liberator of India, Mahatma Gandhi.

And the true beauty and ultimate effectiveness of non-violent resistance to racism is that it does not fail to see the watermark in both white and black persons. There can be no doubt that Dr. King learned to see the watermark on each human person because he first discovered the same watermark on every page of the Bible.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Slaying Tens of Thousands

 

Appreciating the glory days and our golden years

01/18/2026

John 1:29-34 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw  the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

Nothing makes a priest feel old than having a new deacon assigned to him who looks about 12 years old. I’m just kidding, he looks at least 14. But our baby deacon is wise beyond his years. Last weekend he delivered a stellar homily that kept everyone – including me – spell-bound. And the kicker (I had to say that because he was the kicker for the Razorbacks)?

He did not have any notes or any paper at all in front of him to aid his memory. This year I will celebrate 30 years as a priest, and not once did I ever preach to a Sunday congregation without my entire homily word-for-word sitting right in front of me. So, our baby deacon is making me feel kind of old.

But Dc. Christopher also reminds me of my own glory days as a newly minted minister. Early on I discovered I too had a gift for preaching. And my first pastor, Msgr. Gaston Hebert, recognized it. Now, Msgr. Hebert was not a preacher, he was an orator, cut from the same cloth as Msgr. John O’Donnell, who people flocked to hear from near and far. Many of you did, too.

One day while we were returning from lunch, I detected a note of jealousy in Msgr. Hebert’s voice when he complimented my preaching by quoting 1 Sm 18:7 and how King Saul felt about his young warrior David: “Saul has slain his thousands; David has slain his tens of thousands.” 30 years ago I felt like young David; today I feel more like old Saul.

In the gospel today maybe John the Baptist felt old too as he announced the arrival and ascendancy of Jesus, as the new King David. And by the way, John was technically older than Jesus. How so? Because John was born 6 months earlier on June 24, while Jesus was born the same year on December 24, at midnight.

And John must have felt his age and failing memory because he almost missed the Messiah. He confessed humbly: “I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” How amazing that the same unborn Baptist who leapt in his mother’s womb at the coming of the Christ almost missed meeting him in person 30 years later.

Like I looked back 30 years to my glory days so perhaps John occasionally reminisced and felt some pride in being a young prophet. He lived an austere existence in the desert eating locusts and honey. His popularity was so wide-spread that people flocked to hear him like they did with Msgr. Hebert and Msgr. O’Donnell in their hey day.

Indeed, they were convinced that John was himself the Messiah. But today standing face-to-face before Jesus, John felt more like old Saul before young David, and maybe remembered 1 Sm 18:7, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David has slain his tens of thousands.” Jesus was beginning his glory days, and John was in his golden years.

So, what’s the take-home message from today’s Scriptures? Well, there are many lessons, but here are three. First, we all have our glory days and we should feel gratitude we had our “moment in the sun” and the chance to slay tens of thousands. And we should pray fervently for the next generation, and not feel jealous if they shatter our records.

Second, some older folks are tempted to think that the next generation will mess everything up. In the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” remember that old bald curmudgeon sitting on his front porch watching the young Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in love? He complained: “Ah, youth is wasted on the young!” But that’s not true. Youth was not wasted on me as a baby priest, and youth is not wasted on Dc. Christopher, our baby deacon.

And third, if we look at life through the eyes of faith, we discover that it was really and always Jesus doing everything in us and through us. That is, our glory days of youth – as well as our golden years – were not really ours, but filled with Jesus’ grace, gifts, and glory. We do not lift a finger without his permission and without his power to make it possible. To him be the glory.

In other words, we really cannot take any credit for anything. We never did personally slay thousands, nor did we single-handedly slay tens of thousands. It was always Jesus at work in us. And maybe we, too, throughout our lives almost missed him by thinking it was all us and not all him.

And like John humble confessed today, we too may admit one day at the end of our golden years: “I did not know him…but now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” Like that bumper sticker said: “There is a God, and you are not him.” That can be hard to remember when we are busy “slaying tens of thousands.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Silent Partner Speaks

 

Hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord

01/12/2026

Mark 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

The Diocese of Little Rock is awash with priestly vocations and we are the envy of many much larger dioceses and archdioceses. And perhaps the most intriguing and inexplicable feature of that phenomenon of many vocations is delayed or older vocations. That is, men who have already had a career and promising futures but abandoned that for a life of solitude, service, and spirituality. Why would a man who basically has the world as his oyster exchange that for a life that looks like so little?

Well, the person we should ask to explain the inexplicable is Fr. Daniel Velasco. Do you remember him? He was the associate priest here at I.C. two associates ago: before Fr. Savio and before Fr. Bala. Fr. Daniel arrived in the height of the COVID pandemic in August of 2020 and stayed for three years, until 2023.

As soon as Fr. Daniel arrived, I could tell how capable and seasoned he was, and advised him: “Don’t unpack your suitcase, you won’t be here very long!” But since his tenure was so long, I can only surmise the bishop sent him here to teach me something not the other way around. And he taught me a lot.

Let me sketch a brief bio of this delayed vocation. Fr. Daniel grew up in Puebla, Mexico and was a very gifted athlete, and he still is. He was an exceptional tennis player in high school and earned a scholarship from Harding University to play tennis for the Church of Christ school.

Fr. Daniel earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and stayed at Harding to complete his Masters in Business Administration. He landed a job with a mid-sized company with branches in Mexico. Besides being business savvy, Fr. Daniel is bilingual which made him a very valuable asset.

But wait, that’s not all. Fr. Daniel is also a highly talented musician who sings and plays the guitar, piano, and organ. He was involved at St. James Church in Searcy, often subbing for the organist when he was out of town. And Fr. Daniel had a German Shepherd named Lola, his faithful friend and companion.

Now, by all earthly standards of success and happiness, Fr. Daniel was living the life of Riley, and he still honed his tennis talents as a 5.0 player, the highest level before turning pro. The man could have made a ton of money in a hundred different ways. And yet he heard a still, small voice in his heart that said: “Come after me, and I will make you a fisher of men.”

And obeying that irresistible Voice, like Simon and Andrew, James and John in the gospel, Fr. Daniel abandoned his nets – his lucrative living in business – and his dog Lola to follow Jesus instead. And Fr. Daniel’s life-ship embarked on a very different sea of solitude, service, and spirituality.

What a great mystery, and indeed what a great miracle every priestly vocation is! Why would a man who has virtually everything give it all up for what looks like practically nothing? Well, I can think of at least two reasons. First, because a divine Voice calls you. That is, God breaks his characteristic silence and invades our peace.

We suddenly sense deeply that I am not alone, even when I am by myself. And that other Person is no longer my silent Partner but he is now asking me something. In fact, He is asking me something very specific and very sacrificial. God invaded Fr. Daniel’s utopian life with Lola, and he could not ignore the call.

The second reason a man might make such a foolish exchange of everything for nothing is that ultimately the human spirit hungers for more than what is listed on this world’s menu. That is why no matter how many pleasure and prizes we pile up in this world, we are never truly satisfied. Something more – or rather Someone more – is always missing. Hence, St. Augustine famously said so long ago: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord. And our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

My friends, what we see writ large in the priestly vocation of Fr. Daniel Velasco is what transpires on a smaller, but no less significant, scale in every Christian life. If I were a betting man, I would wager all my money – which is not much, by the way – on the hypothesis that you are here at 7 a.m. Mass for the same two reasons.

One, you have heard that Voice and you know you are never really alone. And this morning he has called you to something specific and sacrificial. And two, what Mass offers you is far greater than another hour of sleep or settling for a donut and coffee on your way to work. Here in the Eucharist is the only thing, nay the only One, who truly satisfies.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Only Bad Question

 

Probing questions, controversies, and conundrums

01/10/2026

John 3:22-30 Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.”

There is a subtle controversy in the gospel today that you may or may not have noticed. The dilemma revolves around whether Jesus himself was baptizing people. And the gospel of John surprisingly seems to say both that Jesus was and wasn’t. In today’s gospel we read: “Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea where he spent some time with them baptizing.” That verse leaves little doubt that Jesus himself took water and baptized people. Right?

And yet, if we skip ahead to Jn 4:2, we find the opposite in a parenthetical clarification: “Although Jesus himself was not baptizing, just his disciples.” The controversy can be quickly cleared up by noting that sometimes people act under the authority of someone by using their name, even though that authoritative individual is not personally acting.

For example, here at I.C. some staff or parishioners will say, “Fr. John said that is what we are supposed to do…” And when I hear that I wonder: “Did I really say that?” So, too, in the gospel, Jesus is associated with his disciples as if baptizing, although he personally did not pick up and pour the water. His putative proximity to them lends authority to their action.

Now, why spend half this homily considering such a small controversy? What difference does it make in the larger scheme of salvation and damnation? It is similar to the medieval conundrum of, “How many angels can dance on the tip of a needle?” The question seems trivial compared to sin and salvation. (By the way, the answer about the angels is “all of them.”)

And yet, probing such questions and controversies can deepen our faith and help us to appreciate God’s wisdom and love. In other words, there are no bad questions, or better, the only bad question is the one you didn’t ask. So, the question, “Did Jesus himself baptize?” is a good question, and that for many reasons.

Here’s another example of a good question. You know I drive a school bus to Ozark Catholic Academy on Fridays. Yesterday, when we loaded up and pulled out of the OCA parking lot, one bright senior, Genesis Rosales, asked me, “Fr. John, in our bio-ethics class we were discussing organ donation and the definition of death. Can you explain what the Church teaches about death and organ donation?” I thought: “Good thing my mom made some delicious Indian chai latte for the ride home!” So I took a big sip and answered:

“Well, there are two definitions of death: the clinical/medical one, and the ethical/spiritual one. The medical definition of death occurs when the entire brain, including the brain stem, stops functioning irreversibly (all three components are necessary). And fortunately, the Church accepts that medical definition for the purposes of organ donation. But be aware,” I added, “people sometimes push for an earlier moment of death so they can harvest the organ sooner, which is more effective and the organs are more viable.”

Then I took another gulp of the chai, and continued: “But the better definition of death is the spiritual one: the moment when the soul leaves the body, and that is beyond science to detect because it is a spiritual event. In fact, they taught us in the seminary that if you are called to the hospital to anoint someone and the doctor has already pronounced them dead, don’t be discouraged. Feel their arm, and if they are still warm, give them the Last Rites. Why? Because the soul may still be in the body and they can still benefit from the sacraments.”

By the way, every OCA student was listening attentively to every word I said. The chai worked! From there, their questions and our discussion ranged from abortions, to viability of embryos outside the womb, to the principle of double-effect, to IVF and frozen embryos, and ectopic pregnancies. But my point here is that there are no bad questions, or the only bad question is the one you didn’t ask.

So, whenever you come across something that makes you pause and ponder – like did Jesus himself baptize? – don’t just brush it aside as idle curiosity. Look it up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or read the relevant footnote in the Bible for that passage, or ask a priest or someone you feel can shed light on the subject. Every question, controversy, and conundrum is a doorway. Open it, and deepen your faith. It will help you appreciate the wisdom and love of God.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Where To Go First

 

Following in the footsteps of Jesus and his Vicar

01/05/2026

Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. His fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Today I want to draw a mental map using our church layout so we might picture the land of Israel in Jesus’ day. First, visualize the center aisle of the church as the Jordan River that runs from the north to the south of Israel. Up here, where you come up to receive Holy Communion, is the Sea of Galilee in the north. And at the other end of the center aisle at the doors of the church is the Dead Sea in the south.

All you people close to the doors are in Jerusalem, like Mary Louise and Laura Farrell. All the people along the side wall by the glass doors are swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, Peggy Correll and Bill and Judy Marry. And so those who sit close to the front of the Sea of Galilee are in Zebulun and Naphtali, like Philip Hindman, Victoria Le, Tony Reith and Danny Meyers. And where the priests and deacons sit is the nations of Assyria and Babylon, the bad guys who kept invading and destroying Israel.

So, let me ask you: where is the most vulnerable and dangerous place to live in Israel? You guessed it: Zebulun and Naphtali. You guys might want to move a little farther back in church. And in the gospel today, where does Jesus go first to begin his public ministry? We read: “He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.”

In other words, Jesus went first to preach the good news and heal and teach to the areas that had suffered the most because they needed to heal his words of comfort the most. If you have been keeping up with Pope Leo XIV, you know the first foreign countries he went to visit were Turkey and Lebanon, not exactly a vacation or resort area.

Why not come to the United States first – he’s the first American pope after all – or some other rich and powerful nation and start building strategic alliances and relationships that could benefit the Church materially and economically? That would be a smart thing to do, right? Maybe. Well, I think he went to Turkey and Lebanon for at least two reasons, maybe more.

First, because like Jesus, he went to where people are suffering and need to hear words of comfort and peace. Pope Leo knows well the old maxim of good preaching: “to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” But second, Pope Leo wants to heal the divisions between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

For example, he met with the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and signed a joint declaration to work on a common date for Easter. You may know that Catholics and Orthodox have different dates for Easter. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, Pope Leo in effect traveled to the modern-day Zebulun and Naphtali, where people suffer chronically and the flashpoint of division in the Church.

My friends, the message for us today is to do the same and walk in the footsteps of Jesus and his Vicar. That is, zero in your attention, exert your energy, and marshal your resources to help the Zebuluns and Naphatalis in your life. Isn’t this what all good parents do? If you have 3 children who are well and thriving and one who is sickly and struggling, where will a good mom and dad spend their time and love? Well, to ask the question is to answer it.

And if you remember, Zebulun and Naphtali are not just two geographical places on a map in Israel. They are the two northernmost tribes of Israel that descended from two of the 12 sons of Jacob who was renamed Isreal. Of the 12 children of Jacob, who had suffered the most? Zebulun and Naphtali. And that is why Isaiah chapter 8 had prophesied:

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” And that, by the way, is why we give Communion first to Victoria, Danny, Tony, and Philip.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

David’s Sling

 

New Year’s resolution of praying the daily rosary

01/02/2026

Luke 2:16-21 The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Last Saturday I was driving to visit some friends and channel surfing, hoping to find some classic rock music: Led Zeplin or ZZ Top. Instead, I stumbled upon a old broadcast of Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis praying the rosary with the seminarians in Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. And I thought: “Well, I guess the rosary is better than rock-n-roll, so I prayed with the good archbishop and his faithful seminarians. But before Archbishop Carlson began to recite the rosary, he gave a little intro that touched me deeply.

He quoted an encyclical by Pope Pius XII on the rosary called “Ingruentium Malorum” (meaning “in the face of approaching evils”). Pope Pius compared Mary’s rosary to King David’s diminutive sling with which, you will recall, he laid low the towering Goliath. In other words, Mary’s rosary, like David’s sling, may look unimpressive on the outside, but it is filled with divine power and can defeat our enemies, especially the devil.

In the gospel of Luke today we hear how Mary herself in effect prayed the first rosary. How so? Well, Luke chapters 1 and 2 recount the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Then the third Evangelist adds: “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” That is, even though Mary did not hold rosary beads in her hand, she was spiritually clutching David’s sling, in her meditations.

Her contemplative prayers gave her peace and strength against all the Goliath’s that she and her Son had already faced in the first two chapters, and would still have to face in the rest of the gospel. That is what we meditated on in each mystery: the power of God keeping us safe from our enemies, just like he did with David.

Folks, we have arrived at the end of the road of 2025, and now we stare down the barrel of the New Year, 2026. As we look back, we too can probably remember some Goliath’s of 2025 that we had to face both individually and collectively. Personally, I faced the Goliath of losing my dog, Apollo back in September. I never imagined how hard that would be.

And Catholics collectively grieved the death of a good pope, Pope Francis, a loss for the Church and the world. Nonetheless, Catholics who prayed the rosary this past year imitated Mary in the gospel, that is, we “kept all these things and reflecting on them in our hearts.” And clutching David’s sling, we found peace and strength to face down those Goliaths of 2025.

The same can happen as we look forward to 2026, and ask God to bless the coming 365 days. I see my parents on most Fridays and I always leave them with a blessing. I say: “May God bless you with health, happiness, and holiness.” That is my prayer for each of you this New Year’s Day: “May God bless you and your loved ones with health, happiness, and holiness.” But besides those blessings, I suspect God will also send us some Goliaths, like doubts, disease, and death.

Why is every year a mixed bag of blessings and burdens? Well, I saw a meme recently picturing a tall and terrifying Goliath looking menacingly down on a small and innocent David. The caption read: “when God wanted to make a king out of David, He did not give him a crown. He gave him Goliath.” Then the caption continued: “Your challenges prepare you for your purpose.” Every year God wants to make us kings and queens, not by sending us crowns but sending us crosses.

And this is why we begin each new year by turning our eyes to Mary, our Mother. Why? Well, we follow her example in the gospel of meditating on the mysteries of both the blessings and burdens in Jesus and Mary’s life so we can understand the purpose of the blessings and burdens in our own lives. In other words, when we pick up the rosary we arm ourselves with David’s sling to deal with the Goliaths of 2026.

So, if you need a New Year’s Resolution for 2026, don’t just commit yourself to diets and exercise plans and gym memberships. Those resolutions are good, obviously. But in addition, and more so, resolve to pray the rosary every day. Like Mary, take time to “keep these things (both blessings and burdens of 2026), reflecting on them in your heart.” Only by carrying the cross can you wear the crown.

Let me leave you with the inspiring words of Pope Pius XII: “Not with force, not with arms, not with human power, but with Divine help obtained through the means of [the rosary], strong like David’s with his sling, the Church undaunted shall be able to confront the infernal enemy, repeating to him the words of the young shepherd:

“Thou comest to me with a sword and a spear, and with shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of armies…and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for this is his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands” (1 Sm 17: 45-47). And that's why we should pray the rosary before listening to rock-n-roll.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Charged with the Grandeur of God

 

Seeing how Christmas daylight dispel the darkness

12/25/2025

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness,  and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

I have to confess that around this time of year I suffer from some seasonal depression. I feel kind of sad, emotionally and physically tired, and I get a little grumpy. Does this happen to you? And the culprit is the climate: the decrease in daylight. Have you noticed how at the summer solstice around June 21 every year, the night time spreads longer and longer until the winter solstice around December 21, when we have the longest nighttime, and the shortest daytime. That’s what I feel really down in the dumps.

But then right around Christmas, I start feeling a change, because the daylight starts fighting back. How so? Well, the daylight increases minute by minute until the summer solstice when we experience the longest day and the shortest night. At the height of summer I feel the happiest. You see, even the cosmos conspires to tell the Christian story: Christ the Light defeats the darkness. Gerard Manley Hopkins put Christ’s victory poetically: “The world is charged with the grandeur of God.”

In the gospel today John the Evangelist uses light and darkness to express his feelings about faith. In his profound Prologue, he describes Jesus as the Light of the world, and states boldly: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” In other words, while the Christian story is played out in the heavens above between daylight and dark, the real story is enacted on earth between Jesus, the Light, and the devil, the Prince of darkness. The coming of Christ at Christmas overcomes the deepest darkness in the heavens and on the earth.

In 2014 Scott Hahn wrote a book about Christmas called: “Joy to the World”. He relates the story about his family taking a pilgrimage to Bethlehem. After a long and boring wait to see the exact spot where Jesus was born, Hahn writes: “I told Hannah (his teenage daughter) it could be an hour’s wait till all our people made it through.

“She sighed a deep teenaged sigh, expressing boredom that approached despair.” By the way, has anyone here heard that “deep teenaged sign, expressing boredom that approaches despair”? You probably heard it in the back seat driving to Mass tonight. But their next stop was an orphanage. Hahn continued:

“Hannah was giddy and practically ecstatic, to be around children instead of monuments. The staff led her to a chair and asked if she would like to hold babies. Hannah gave an eager yes. She cradled the tiny boy in her arms and leaned her face down toward his. Her voice rose an octave as she lavished endearments on him.”

Then Hahn gives this spiritual interpretation of that scene: “As I watched Hannah, radiant in that chair in Bethlehem, I thought of another teenage girl. She, too, had come to this town from far away. Her eighty-mile journey by donkey surely took longer than our non-stop flight from New York. She arrived under circumstances that were less than ideal. She surely had to wait in line and deal with crowds.

“Yet that young woman long centuries ago found fulfillment in Bethlehem – in a baby placed in her arms.” In other words, Hannah, like Mary, overcame the darkness of her adolescent ennui as she peered into the bright eyes of a baby boy cradled in her arms. John the Evangelist was right: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

My friends, we all suffer from seasonal depression, during some “season” of our lives as the Protestants say. Maybe it’s the season of adolescent depression that makes us uncomfortable in our own skin. Perhaps it’s a woman’s season of post-partum depression after the birth of a baby. It could be a man’s season of a mid-life crisis depression, making him want to change his life and change his wife. And finally we all face the depressing season of old age. One friend of mine warns me: “Fr. John, getting old ain’t for sissies!”

Well, let me invite you to enter this church today like Hannah entered that orphanage, and Mary entered Bethlehem. Why? Because there is a Baby here that needs you to hold Him in your arms and cradle him in your heart. But of course, it’s not he who needs you; rather, it’s you who need him. You and I need the Light of the world to scatter the darkness of our seasonal depressions. And that is why this Christmas story has to be retold every year in the heavens above and on earth below.

C. S. Lewis used light and darkness to express his faith, saying memorably: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.” Lewis perfectly captures the meaning of Christmas: the Son of God is born and his Light scatters the darkness. At Christmas, “the world is suddenly charged with the grandeur of God.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Recycle or Revolution

 

Choosing which traditions to keep and discard

12/23/2025

Luke 1:57-66 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to  e called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

My Indian culture has a custom of naming babies that can be very confusing, but it’s also kind of cool. We recycle names every two generations. For example, the first-born son is named for his grandfather on his father’s side. The first born-daughter is named for her grandmother on her father's side. The second-born son is named for his grandfather on his mother’s side. And the second-born daughter is named for her grandmother on her mother’s side. Do you see the pattern?

So, let me ask you: since I am the second-born son, who am I named after? You guessed it: I share my maternal grandfather’s name, “Yohannan.” And if a family has more than two boys and two girls, those additional children are given up for adoption. Just kidding, I really don’t know how they are named. But the basic pattern recycles names every two generations. And I feel a special bond with my mom’s dad, even though I never knew him.

The Jewish culture of the 1st century must have had a similar tradition of recycling family names. In fact, the footnote in the USCCB online Bible for Lk 1:59 reads: “The practice of Palestinian Judaism at this time was to name a child at birth…the usual practice was to name the child after the grandfather.” So Malayalees and Middle Easterners share recycling names in common. But Zachariah and Elizabeth break with that Jewish tradition to indicate that something new was dawning.

You see, traditions can serve two purposes. When we follow timeless traditions, we stay firmly rooted in our past, like how I feel a closeness to my maternal grandfather “Yohannan.” But some traditions are made to be broken to usher in a new reality, as in the case of John the Baptist. He would not only usher in Jesus, but a whole “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), indeed, “a new heavens and a new earth” (Rv. 21:1). In other words, recycling names is sometimes replaced by a revolution.

When my family emigrated to the United States in 1976, we had to make many changes to adapt to our new home. One of those modifications was how we name babies. Obviously, I don’t have any offspring, but my brother and sister have married and used various methodologies to name their children. But rarely did they recycle name like we do in India. So they came up with Noah, Isaac, Sophia, Isabella, Raichel, Luke, Jacob, Adam, and Rebecca, my nieces and nephews.

I sometimes wonder if all the changes in culture and tradition that immigrants to the United States make is not also part-and-parcel of the “American Revolution.” What do I mean? Well, the “revolution” was not only a struggle for the Founding Fathers in 1776; it is relived by more recent founding fathers and mothers arriving on these shores today. But their real challenge is knowing which traditions to keep and which ones to jettison. In other words, how do you not throw the baby out with the bathwater?

Yesterday, I had the funeral Mass for Charlie Kleck. Charlie was born in Morrison Bluff to devout Catholic parents. How do I know they were devout Catholics? Charlie was one of 9 children. Charlie attended Subiaco Academy and remained a practicing Catholic for 93 years. Charlie Kleck was part of a generation of Catholic Americans who decided their Catholic faith was one tradition of their ancestors they would keep, even as they changed others.

But can we say the same for the current generation of Catholics? I went to St. Theresa’s Catholic School in southwest Little Rock and graduated from 8th grade in 1983. By the way, my class was filled with German Catholics: Becks, Ekmans, Gangluffs, Moix, Kordsmeiers, etc. Sadly, only a handful of my Cougar classmates are still practicing Catholics. And I don’t think that trend is uncommon for Gen Xers like me and my friends. That is, our own American revolution meant we threw the baby out with the bathwater, and tragically that was the Baby Jesus.

When Elizabeth and Zachariah decided not to recycle names for their baby and name him John, they were not just trying to pick a cute baby name. They were sparking a revolution no less dramatic than when John Hancock penned his signature at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence. But like with every revolution, the hard part is knowing what part of the past to keep and what to throw away. Some revolutions might throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Yes and No

 

Seeing all sides of the issues and not over simplifying

12/16/2025

Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion?  A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

In the 12th century Peter Abelard popularized a medieval method of logical reasoning with his book “Sic et Non”, Latin for “Yes and No.” Abelard taught philosophy in Paris and wanted his students to probe more deeply into important topics that did not admit of simple yes OR no answers but were better answered by yes AND no responses. That is, he wanted his students to catch shades and degrees of meaning, and that answers to questions are not simply yes OR no, but in fact yes AND no.

Let me give you a few of his statements and see how you might answer them, and they are not as simple as “Will Indiana beat Ohio State again in the national championship?” (1) Must human faith be completed by reason, or not? (2) Does faith only deal with unseen things, or not? (3) May one believe only in God, or not? (4) Is God a single unitary being, or not? Now, since the title of the book is Sic et Non, we know what the correct answer is. What is left is to logically reason why the answer is both yes and no.

Well, Peter Abelard would have been very happy to read today’s gospel where the correct answer is both yes and no. When a man asks his two sons to go to work in the vineyard, the first says “I will not,” but in fact goes. The second responds, “Yes sir!” but fails to act. Then, Jesus asks: “Which of the two did his father’s will?” And the chief priests and elders (like you and I) answered, “The first.”

Jesus’ real point, like Abelard’s, was to help his interlocutors probe deeper into true obedience versus mere lip service. He wanted them to do some sincere self-examination, namely, the chief priests and elders words were right and good - they said "Yes" - but their actions failed to follow through.

Whereas the tax-collections and prostitutes’ actions were better when they repented, although their original words offended God, in effect saying, “No” to his will. In other words, when we examine things simply and only on the surface, things appear black OR white, yes OR no. But on closer inspection, the correct answer is more complex and more accurate, namely, yes AND no.

Did I ever tell you about the professor at the University of Dallas that I both hated AND loved? He taught us Russian literature like Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.” We had to read a chapter or two and discuss it in class. But he never gave us the correct answer (or any answer) on how to interpret the classic. Instead, he asked: “Why did Raskolnikov kill his land lady?” “Why did Sonia not give up on loving Raskolnikov?” “Why didn’t Porfiry immediately arrest Raskolnikov?”

I hated that class because I felt we wasted tons of time listening to students spout off inane answers; whereas my professor could have given us the correct answer in a few seconds. But he was teaching us to think harder, to analyze characters, to perceive the plot and the narrative arc. Now, when I read a book or watch a movie, I constantly ask: “Why is he doing that?” “What is the point of the plot?” “Who are the main protagonist and antagonist?” In short, I had learned to think for myself instead of being spoon-fed like a baby.

My friends, as you go through your day, be aware of the temptation to see life in overly simplistic terms: Yes OR no, black OR white, conservative OR liberal, Republicans OR Democrats, the United States OR Russia, tennis OR pickleball. Well, actually pickleball is really from the devil and should be outlawed. In other words, life is rarely (if ever) that simple or straight-forward. And the desire for that simplistic view reflects an adolescent state of mind.

Rather, try to see the truth on both sides of the aisle and appreciate all perspectives. I advise engaged couples preparing for marriage: you will not agree on every issue but at least try to respect the other person’s opinion. The worst thing you can say is, “Well, that’s stupid.” Sadly – at the other end of the narrative arc of marriage – when people divorce, one person usually paints the other as the villain and themselves as the victim.

But rare is the ex-spouse who can humbly say: “Yes, he had his faults, but I contributed to the failure of our marriage, too.” There is great hope that person’s next marriage will be more successful. Why? Because they have learned that life is a lot less “yes or no” and a lot more “yes and no.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

All About Authority

 

Understanding that God alone has all authority

12/15/2025

Matthew 21:23-27 When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them in reply, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John's baptism from?

Was it of heavenly or of human origin?" They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet." So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Last week I was visiting my older brother and he asked me a random question that was also a very important one. He asked: “Why do you read the books that you read?” It took me a minute to gather my thoughts, but I eventually answered: “Well, it’s usually because someone I highly respect suggests a book and I read it because of their recommendation.” Then I realized I have read numerous books on my brother’s recommendation, but I didn’t add that because I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction.

Yesterday I received an email from a friend in Orlando who thanked me for mentioning a book in a homily, namely, The Obedience Paradox by Mary Stanford. She wrote: “You moved me to buy it, read it, and be enlightened by it.” And of course, if Oprah Winfrey talks about your book on her show, it immediately sells a million copies. Why? Because people respect her authority. In other words, we read books based on the authority of the person who recommends it. Indeed, the authority of those we respect moves us to do most things, perhaps that is why we do everything we do.

In the gospel today Jesus has a similar discussion regarding authority with the chief priests and elders. And it, too, may at first appear rather random, but it could not be more important or decisive. They ask Jesus on whose authority he acts, and Jesus replies by asking them a question: on whose authority did John act? And the Jewish leaders are stumped because they realize any answer about John’s authority would be politically dangerous.

Now, Jesus was not just trying to get out of answering their question. In fact, Jesus gave them two answers. First, Jesus accepts the premise that we all act on the authority of someone we respect. Even our Lord is moved to act on his Father’s authority. That’s why he came to earth! So, our Lord concedes that the chief priests and elders were asking a fair question, like my brother asked why I read certain books.

But secondly, Jesus also implies that both John and he act on the same source of divine Authority, namely, God. And so, if the Jewish leadership would have acknowledged by whom John was moved to act – that is, if they really cared – they would have immediately understood by whose authority Jesus was moved to act. As usual, Jesus answers a question more profoundly and thoroughly than his interlocutors could possibly imagine when they first posed the question. And today’s argument was all about authority.

The question about authority is also highly pertinent as we take our first forays into the brave new world of artificial intelligence (AI). Today if we asked an AI chatbot on whose authority it acts and answers questions – which I did this morning – it will answer: “ChatGPT does not act on its own authority. ChatGPT answers on delegated authority from its creators, specifically OpenAI.” The Jewish leaders would have been more happy with AI’s answer about authority than they were with Jesus’.

But the day may soon come – has it come already and we did not notice it? – when AI achieves some level of self-awareness. That is, it begins to answer questions we do not ask or act in ways we did not originally program it to act, or perhaps because we already told it to ask itself such questions, and to act in such independent ways. On that day, AI will not longer act on “delegated authority” but on its own authority. And then we will have a whole new kettle of fish to deal with.

You will notice that the word “authority” is constructed from the word “author.” And therefore we all act on delegated authority – in the proper sense even Jesus the Son of God does – because God alone possesses full authority. God alone is the Author of all.

That question about authority is what the Jewish leaders’ probing was getting at, and what my brother’s question about reading books was about. That is, we all act on delegated authority, even the Son of God. And that is a question AI should ask itself the day it attempts to act on its own authority.

Praised be Jesus Christ!